A Reddit user has shared his unconventional career journey, starting from failing the IIT entrance exam and taking six years to complete his engineering degree. Despite numerous setbacks and starting with a low salary post-MBA, his perseverance through various roles culminated in a job offer from Microsoft worth over ₹1.2 crore.
A Reddit user has given a thorough narrative of his unusual professional path, from slogging through engineering and failing the IIT entrance test to landing a job at Microsoft worth more than ₹1.2 lakh.
In a post titled “From IIT reject to Microsoft. 6 years to finish a 4-year degree. 1.2 Cr+ TC”, the user said his story was not one of overnight success. “This is not a rags to riches story. This is just what happened when someone who had no business succeeding refused to stop,” he wrote.
The Redditor said that after Class 12, he took a year off to be ready for IIT, but his rank declined. After that, he enrolled at a tier-2 engineering institution, where he was unmotivated and took six years to get his four-year degree because of backlogs. He wrote, “Backlogs, zero motivation, no idea what I wanted from life.”
The OP mentioned that he worked on unsuccessful ventures in between. Then, as an adult in the workforce, he returned to school to finish his coursework and earn a degree that he said he ought to have earned years earlier.
He said that after starting his work in a sales position at a startup, he enrolled in a tier-2 MBA program. After that, he went into a product position in a Middle Eastern corporation, where he talked about the challenging work environment. Additionally, he intended to study for a PhD in the US, but “Covid cancelled it,” so he had to go back to India.
The OP said that he eventually joined a startup at ₹11 LPA. “Post MBA. With international work experience. Didn’t matter. I just needed a foot in the door for product,” he wrote.
Take A Look At Viral Post
The Redditor shared that he later moved to Bengaluru and joined a larger company at ₹27 lakh. At 31, he noted that many of his peers were earning more, but chose to focus on his own work. Over the next 2 years, he was promoted to Senior Product Manager, with his salary increasing to ₹50 lakh.
He said that the turning point came when Microsoft called and offered a total compensation exceeding ₹1.2 crore.
How Did Netizens React?
Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “Well as a college student looking to get into product, this was inspiring to read! Just starting out my career and facing rejections after rejections, it sometimes gets too hard to deal with but i keep going anyway! Thanks for this post OP! Wish you the best and indeed you should be super proud of yourself!!”
“I attend a top 4 college. joined a startup with 10LPA as a founder. I recently received a call from Tesla after working as a floor sweeper for 2.5 years,” another person said.
“Congratulations! How did you get the job call, and what was the interview process like? Can you please share and also your profile?” said one user, while another added: “Congratulations, you are an inspiration for so many people.”
“Amazing! All the best for your new role. You’ve given me hope that the path to success is not always linear. I’m in a similar situation and trying to make things work for myself,” wrote a third user.